Chapter 58: A Game of Luck
"I don't really understand psychology," Qi Xia shook his head and replied quietly. "I'm just used to being the bad guy."
Seeing that Qi Xia had agreed to his request, Old Lü's attitude toward him softened a little.
"Hey, kid, let's get this straight first—all the 'Dao' we win belong to me."
"I need to keep one," Qi Xia said.
"Impossible." Old Lü shook his head without hesitation. "Are you trying to negotiate with me, kid? You already took nineteen 'Dao' from me earlier, and now you still want more? If this is your attitude, I'm leaving right now."
Qi Xia nodded and said, "Fine. I won't take any 'Dao,' but you have to cover my 'entry fee.'"
Old Lü's eyes darted around again as he leaned in and said, "Kid, let me warn you—those two aren't in this area. If you try to screw me over, I'll never tell you where they are."
"Don't worry. Screwing you over would just be a waste of my time."
Now confident, Old Lü grabbed Qi Xia and tried to pull him into the room.
"Hold on," Qi Xia said. "To be safe, you should at least explain this game to me."
"Oh, right!" Old Lü slapped his forehead. "Damn, I almost forgot. Kid, you've never played a 'Pig Game' before?"
"What do you think?" Qi Xia asked with a frown.
"Pfft. Pig Games—like the name says, you just have to act like a pig."
"Act like a pig?" Qi Xia didn't quite understand. "Why would I act like a pig?"
"Because you don't need to use your brain!" Old Lü said with a grin. "Pig Games are all 'luck-based' games, like rock-paper-scissors or guessing high-low."
"What?" Qi Xia paused. "You mean... a game where winning or losing depends entirely on fate?"
"That's right!" Old Lü nodded, then glanced at Qi Xia. "You're not backing out now, are you?"
"I..." Qi Xia wouldn't exactly call it "backing out," but he was genuinely puzzled. What did "pig" have to do with "luck"?
"What's there to be afraid of in a Pig Game?" Old Lü said with a hint of exasperation. "I thought you were smart, but now that it comes to relying on luck, you're scared?"
Relying on luck?
Qi Xia knew that pigs weren't low-intelligence animals.
Among all species on the planet, pigs ranked in the top ten in intelligence, with cognitive abilities comparable to a five-year-old child.
Besides, the "rock-paper-scissors" or "high-low guessing" Old Lü mentioned weren't purely games of luck either.
With the right tactics, you could definitely lose less and win more.
"I still want to ask—what exactly is this game about?" Qi Xia looked at the building in front of him. It was clearly a Go club. Why would anyone play a luck-based game inside a Go club?
"To put it simply, there are two piles of Go pieces, equal in number—one black and one white. You close your eyes and randomly pick one piece. If you pick a black piece, you win."
"That's it?"
"Yeah!" Old Lü said. "I told you! It's a luck-based game!"
He then pulled a white piece from his pocket and slammed it onto the ground.
"Damn it! I drew white two times in a row! My luck's terrible!"
Qi Xia could hardly believe his ears. If that was really the case, there was no way he could guarantee a win against the Pighead Man.
He picked up the white piece from the floor and examined it. It was indeed an ordinary Go piece, no trickery involved.
"Kid, are you up for it or not?" Old Lü grew impatient. "Don't you want to find out where those two are?"
Qi Xia knew he had no other choice. He was completely broke now, and his only hope was to pin his chances on Officer Li.
And to ask about Officer Li's whereabouts, he had to get Old Lü to talk.
Even if worst came to worst, he had nothing left to lose.
If he lost this luck-based game, he wouldn't actually suffer any loss, and it would give him a chance to learn more about the "Pig."
"No, I was just thinking of a plan," Qi Xia said. "Let's go in."
Hearing that, Old Lü nodded excitedly, grabbed Qi Xia, and entered the room.
Linjin thought the situation was absurd but didn't say anything to stop them. She silently followed.
As soon as they entered, the Pighead Man started dancing with joy. "Hee hee! You're here! Someone else to play with me!"
His voice was very deep, but his tone was childish.
Qi Xia couldn't help covering his nose and mouth—the smell from the pig-head mask was unbearable.
"You pig-headed fool!" Old Lü barked. "Today, I'm going to make you lose until you've got nothing left!"
"Hahahaha! Great! Great!" the Pighead Man clapped. "Who's going to play with me?"
Qi Xia slowly sat down across from the Pighead Man and said, "I am. How do you calculate the entry fee?"
"Pay whatever you want, at most five 'Dao.' If you win, it doubles!" the Pighead Man said. "Hand it over, hand it over!"
"Pay whatever you want..." Qi Xia shook his head. "You're a 'Human Pig,' aren't you?"
"Yes! I'm a Human Pig! I'm a Human Pig!" After saying that, he pointed at Qi Xia. "You're a Dumb Pig! You're a Dumb Pig!"
No one paid him any attention. After all, who wanted to talk to a madman?
Old Lü gritted his teeth, pulled five "Dao" from his pocket, and reluctantly handed them over to the Human Pig.
Qi Xia noticed that Old Lü's eyes really looked like those of a gambler.
This was supposed to be a luck-based game, but he was still willing to keep investing.
"Old Lü, five?" Qi Xia looked at him with some doubt. "Isn't that too high a stake?"
"Kid!" Old Lü looked at Qi Xia seriously. "I just played two rounds. The first round I bet one 'Dao,' the second round two 'Dao,' and both times this damn pig took them all. As long as you win this round, I'll not only break even but also have some left over."
Qi Xia thought for a moment, then turned back to the Human Pig. "What are the rules of the game?"
"Very simple..."
The Human Pig pushed the black and white pieces in front of him forward and said, "There are fifty black pieces and fifty white pieces. I want you to put them all into these two bowls."
He then pushed forward two identical large ceramic bowls.
"As for how you divide the two colors... that's up to you," the Human Pig said with a goofy grin. "Once you've divided them, you'll be blindfolded. I'll shuffle the positions of the two bowls and shake the pieces inside. Then you'll pick one bowl at random, and from that bowl, you'll pick one piece at random. If you manage to pick a 'black piece,' you win. Oh, and if anyone tries to interfere with the game or give you any hints, I'll punish everyone present."
Qi Xia listened expressionlessly. He looked down at the bowls and pieces on the table and let out a cold snort.
"Heh heh, what are you laughing at?" the Human Pig said with a grin. "As long as you're lucky enough, you might just win."
Qi Xia found it somewhat laughable.
Distributing the pieces yourself. Picking the pieces yourself.
A luck-based game?
A Pig Game?
This game, which seemed like a fifty-fifty chance, was actually a trap, luring countless participants into jumping in.
"Human Pig, I underestimated you," Qi Xia said. "You're much smarter than I thought."